To Live
by Ferdy 63
Summary: This is my idea of what could have happened differently in that hallway at Grady Hospital and what comes after. It's my first real attempt at Betyl story so let me know if it doesn't feel right to you die hard Bethyl fans. There will be multiple chapters. Beth and Daryl centered obviously. I appreciate thoughtful reviews positive or negative.
1. Chapter 1

His senses had been on high alert since they'd entered the hospital. As they approached the group that waited in the corridor ahead, Daryl's focus sharpened. He could see Beth standing at the back of the group next to Carol who was sitting in a wheel chair. Several armed police officers surrounded them. At the front of the group, a rather severe looking woman stepped forward. This must be the one they'd heard about, the bitch in charge.

He caught Beth's eye as the two heavily armed groups faced off. She looked relieved to see them but there was something else. She was angry and determined. She had that squared off jaw that meant she'd made a decision to do something, and nothing was going to dissuade her. He'd seen that look often enough while the two of them were together. He tried to read the situation, to figure out what she was planning but couldn't figure it out. The only thing that made sense was for her to follow the plan so they could all get out of this, but Beth followed her heart whether it made sense or not. It was making him even more nervous.

The first exchange took place. Carol was wheeled across as they released one of the Atlanta cops to the Hospital group. Daryl breathed a tiny sigh of relief, so far, so good. Beth had moved forward. She was standing next to the one in charge. Everyone had their hands on their weapons. He glanced at her wishing Beth had some way to protect herself as well. That's when he noticed she was surreptitiously pulling something out of the cast on her wrist. He couldn't tell exactly what it was but he saw a sharp silver tip. He looked at her, wanting to yell out for her to be still. The way that Beth was looking at Dawn was giving him a bad feeling. It was the same way she'd looked when she said she wanted a drink.

She looked up at him and he pleaded with his eyes for her not to do anything. She started across the floor as the other cop started walking. She made it to Daryl and the others. He wanted to pick her up and run with her but there was still the armed group across from them to consider. He thought they'd made it, that they were going to get out of it clean. Then, the queen bitch stepped forward and started making demands. As soon as she spoke, he knew things were going to end badly. Somebody was about to die. He aimed to make sure it wasn't anyone from his family.

Beth's anger flared as the woman demanded that Noah be left behind. Daryl saw her palm the sharp metal instrument from her cast. She stepped closer to Dawn. "I get it now," she said as she raised her arm to strike at her captor. Daryl reacted before he thought. He saw Dawn's hand twitch against her pistol and he knew what she was about to do. As Beth plunged the puny scissors into the woman's shoulder, Daryl lunged knocking Beth aside. Dawn's gun blasted only an inch or two away from his ear. He felt the burning of the bullet as it grazed his head but it didn't slow his reaction. He raised his pistol and shot the woman in the head.

As Dawn fell, he found himself tangled up with Beth on the floor of the hospital corridor. Blood was pouring down the side of his face. Beth was talking to him but he couldn't hear what she was saying. The gun blast had temporarily deafened him. He pushed her behind him against the wall and watched as the standoff between the two groups suddenly intensified. Rick glanced at him and Daryl nodded to let him know he was okay.

Both groups had all weapons drawn. It was a standoff that nobody was going to win. No one spoke for several moments and then Daryl saw the woman cop that they'd held hostage. She was saying something. She was lowering her weapon. He heard Rick say something in response. The other cops from the hospital group were lowering their guns as well. He looked to Rick who motioned for him and Beth to move. Daryl kept her shielded as they backed away from the Atlanta cops.

"We're going to leave now, all of us. If anyone tries to follow us or anyone is waiting for us outside, this is going to be war. Do we understand each other?" Rick demanded.

The woman cop nodded and said something else as she holstered her weapon. Rick motioned for the others to begin backing away. They were soon through the corridor doors which closed behind them. Rick told him to take Beth and Carol and get them outside as quickly as possible. He, Sasha, Tyrese and Noah were going to take it slower to make sure no one was following them.

Daryl turned, grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and told Beth to follow him. They rushed through the hallways toward the exit. Beth was trying to fuss over him. He could hear her but it sounded like she was talking to him from down deep in a well. She kept asking if he was alright.

"Damn it, woman, I'm fine. It just grazed me. We gotta get out of here so quit worryin' about me," he told her rather gruffly. She didn't look pleased with him but she stopped yapping and followed behind him as they made their way to the exit.

As they went through the door to the parking lot, he could see Glen, Maggie, Michonne and the rest of their group pulling up in a very large fire truck. Maggie dropped her gun and started running towards them, reaching for her sister.

"Beth, oh Bethy! I didn't think I'd ever see you again," Maggie cried as she hugged her sister and kissed her cheek. Both women were crying and hugging in the middle of the parking lot as the rest of them watched.

Daryl was helping Carol out of the wheelchair. "Enough with the family reunion! We need to get clear of this place. Rick and the others are right behind us. Come on, back to the truck," Daryl yelled as he picked Carol up and started carrying her towards their transportation.

Upon hearing what he said, Abraham, Rosita, Michonne, and Glen all took positions around the truck with weapons at the ready. Maggie and Beth were right behind him as he lifted Carol up onto the seat. He stepped back to let them climb in. He could see Carl in the back holding Judith and a rather dazed looking Eugene sitting beside them. Once they were all safely in, he closed the door and drew his pistol joining the others on guard as they waited for Rick's group to emerge.

It wasn't long before the doors blasted open and Rick and the others came rushing out. Rick was lagging behind a bit to keep pace with Noah. He looked a bit surprised to see the others and the fire truck but he didn't question it. "Get ready to roll. They haven't followed us yet but we don't want to waste time and tempt them," he said as they reached the truck. Abraham climbed back behind the wheel and the others all squeezed into the fire truck. It was a tight fit for all of them but they managed it. As the truck pulled away from the hospital, Daryl looked back. Several of the Atlanta cops were standing near the exit. They weren't making any threatening moves or doing anything to try and stop the truck. Daryl hoped it meant that this incident was behind them. Maybe they'd gotten lucky.

The group had been riding for a good half hour before Daryl finally relaxed. He laid his head back against the seat and took a deep breath. He felt a small, cool hand against his brow and he turned to realize that Beth was sitting right beside him, so close she was almost in his lap.

"I'm gonna clean that up for you as soon as we stop," she told him, looking up at him with those sky blue eyes that never missed anything. "Does it hurt much?" she asked.

"Nah, I've had worse. It's ain't much more'n a scratch," he told her as he forced himself to turn his gaze away. If he kept looking into her eyes, he was afraid he'd start crying. It was such a relief to have her with him again. He thought he'd lost her forever when he watched that car drive away outside the funeral home, but he had her back now.

Maggie was bursting with questions. She wanted to know what had happened to Beth, what the cops at the hospital had done to her, how she'd broken her wrist. It was just like a woman to have to know every little detail, but Daryl listened carefully as Beth told the story of what had happened that night after he'd lost her.

"After I ran out of the funeral home, I went straight towards the road. I kept looking behind me for Daryl but I couldn't see him," Beth told them. Daryl winced as he remembered that night, how he had to watch as the car with the white cross disappeared down the road in front of him.

"I fell on the road, trying to fight off two walkers. That's when I broke my wrist. I didn't even hear the car. I just saw these two guys in uniforms standing over me, telling me that I was safe and then one of them had a syringe in his hand and that's the last thing I saw before I woke up in the hospital with this cast on my wrist," she continued telling them. "Dawn told me that they'd saved my life, that I should be grateful to be with them, but then they wouldn't let me leave. She said I had to pay off my debt to them by working in the hospital. They kept track of everything, every bite of food I took or medicine they gave me, even the clothes I wore were added to my debt. There was no way to ever earn your way free."

Noah was sitting silently but nodding as Beth told her story. He understood exactly what she'd been through.

"It was like some sort of prison camp or something. The police were the guards and they did whatever they wanted to us. Dawn would sometimes try to keep them in line but she knew that if she pushed too hard, they'd stop listening to her altogether. They tried to intimidate me but I just kept my head down and my eyes open. Dawn slapped me around a few times for speaking my mind. Then, one of the women patients was raped. She killed herself when Dawn didn't do anything to punish the men responsible. That's when Noah and I decided to escape. We almost made it out together but they caught me."

Daryl bristled at the thought of that woman putting her hands on Beth. Then when she talked about a woman being raped he clenched his jaw so tightly that it caused the wound on his head to open and start bleeding again. He was glad he'd shot that bitch. He wished he would have killed them all. If he thought one of them had hurt Beth, he'd never have been able to walk out of the hallway and leave anyone standing. He made himself breathe slowly and evenly to calm down. It was over now and she was safe. That was all that mattered.

"How did you all meet up with Noah?" Beth asked them. "How did you end up in Atlanta? Where were all of you since the prison?"

No one spoke for a while. They were all a bit uneasy to speak about the horrors they had been through at Terminus and after. Rick finally said, "It's a long story, Beth. I think it's best left for another time. Right now, we need to find a place to make camp and get some food and rest. We need to dress that wound on Daryl's head and take stock of what we're gonna do next."

Beth looked a bit alarmed by the obvious silence of those she loved around her. She knew something terrible had happened to them, much worse than being stuck in the hospital. She wanted to ask more questions, to find out what was haunting them but before she could open her mouth she felt Daryl's hand on her arm. She looked over at him and he shook his head just slightly, enough to tell her that now wasn't the time. She stopped herself but the look in his eyes told her whatever they'd experienced had been hell.

Abraham drove for hours. He had to work his way around side streets and alleyways to get them around all the road blocks and car pile ups in Atlanta. Once they finally made it to the outskirts of the city, Beth heard Rick up front talking to Abraham as he consulted a map. They were looking for someplace that they could take shelter.

"There's a place about 30 miles up ahead. It's a science museum. It's just off the interstate in a fenced off area that's not too close to any residential sections. It may be a place to hole up for a few days until we can get supplies together and another vehicle before we start for D.C.," Rick said. At the mention of D.C., Abraham looked over at Rick uncomfortably. Daryl could see Maggie and Glen tense as well.

It was Glen who finally spoke up. "He lied, Rick. There's no cure. Eugene lied to everyone because he was afraid of being left alone. That's why we came back. There's no way out of this, not in Washington or anywhere else," Glen told them all dejectedly.

Daryl couldn't believe it. He'd always known that Eugene was a little strange but he never figured the guy was lying. How could he have done that, lied about something like that? Daryl turned to look at the man in the seat behind him. Eugene eyes were cast toward the floor. His cheeks were bright red with shame. Tyrese and Sasha were at first just open mouthed in shock. Then Sasha got angry, really angry. She started yelling at Eugene and even got up and started to move toward him.

"How could you do that? You made us believe there was hope for something better. Bob died believing the bullshit you told us. What kind of sick twisted mind do you have?" she screamed at him. Tyrese grabbed her arm and pulled her back down to sit next to him.

"Just hush now, Sasha. Just hush," he comforted her as she buried her head into his chest and sobbed. Everyone knew that her anger had more to do with losing Bob than with Eugene's lie but that lie hurt all of them. Finding out that there was no cure was like another death to deal with.

Rick was speechless for a moment. He sat staring back at all of them and rubbing his hand across the unkempt beard that had become a part of his haggard appearance over the past month. He was angry too but he was trying hard to keep himself in check. "Well, I guess that changes things. We could still try the museum, see if it's safe. We need a place to rest up," he offered. They all agreed and Rick showed Abraham the spot to head for on the map.

During the course of the ride, Daryl noticed that most of the others had dozed off. Maggie was resting against Glen's shoulder while his head rested against the top of hers. Carol lay against Tyrese's sturdy arm with her eyes closed. Even Lil Asskicker was asleep on her big brother's lap. Michonne, never one to relax, had her face against the window watching their surroundings as they passed.

Daryl looked down to see that Beth had snuggled against his arm and was resting comfortably. He wanted to close his eyes for a moment but the wound on his head had begun to hurt like a mother. His whole head was throbbing and he wished suddenly that he still had some of Merle's kick ass painkillers. Nothing for it but to just grit his teeth and bear it for now, though. Hopefully wherever they ended up, he could find something that would offer a little relief.

About an hour later, the overcrowded fire truck pulled to a stop on the side of the interstate. To their right, about 150 yards off the road, sat a relatively new looking building surrounded by a chain link fence. A sign facing them read Georgia Museum of Science and Technology. The parking lot between the fence and the building looked empty.

"That's the place," Rick told the rest of them.

Carl suddenly spoke up, "Hey, I remember this. My school had a field trip here and you and Mom were chaperones. We got to do experiments and stuff."

Rick smiled at his son's unusually boyish outburst. "Yep, I saw it on the map when we were back at the church. I remembered the fence. Let's hope it's still safe. They even had a little snack bar in this place so there may be some food," he told them. "Now, I want everyone to stay on the bus except me, Tyrese, Sasha, Glen and Abe. We'll check it out. If it's clear, we can pull the truck closer and get everybody inside."

Daryl leaned forward, "Hey I ain't helpless. I can go and help y'all clear it."

"Daryl Dixon, you're hurt. You are not going out there," he heard Beth's voice behind him pipe up and she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back.

Daryl shrugged off her hand and looked back toward the front to see Rick grinning at him, "Well I was gonna give you a lecture but I'll just second what she said."

Daryl felt silly being molly coddled by sweet little Beth and he wanted to give her a piece of his mind but when he looked at her all he could think was how grateful he was to have her back and safe so he just harrumphed once or twice and settled back into his seat.

The group that was checking out the museum all got out of the vehicle and checked their weapons. Daryl watched as Rick and the others crossed the field to the fence around the museum until they disappeared around the side of the building.

"Hey, don't be mad at me," Beth whispered, "I was only trying to take care of you."

He looked back at her. "I ain't mad," he told her and then turned away again. There was too much that he wanted to say but didn't know how to put into words. Besides, the fire truck was close quarters and he didn't want everyone else hearing whatever he did manage to say. There would be time later. At least he hoped there would.


	2. Chapter 2

They all sat tensely quiet while they waited for some sign of the group that had left them. Judith woke up whimpering on Carl's shoulder and reached out for Carol to take her. Carol grimaced slightly in pain as the little girl crawled over into her lap. Daryl was about to reach for her when Beth stood up and leaned over the seat, "Hey, Judy, remember me? Huh? Come on up here and sit with me and Uncle Daryl," she said in a sing songy voice so as not to frighten the baby. Once Judy was on her lap, she began to sing quietly to her, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray." As Beth sang, Judy began to clap her little hands and smile.

Something fluttered in Daryl's chest at the sound of her singing again. He knew how Merle would have laughed at him to see him being so silly over a girl but he didn't care. He'd missed her so damn bad that it felt good to be silly for a minute. "You like that Lil Asskicker, huh? You like hearin' Bethy sing?" he asked, feeling completely content watching the scene before him.

It wasn't long before the scouting party was back at the edge of the fence. Daryl leaned out of the truck and heard Rick whistling the all clear signal. He climbed down and helped the others to the ground including Beth who has carrying Judith on her hip like she'd always done back at the prison. The made a rough looking group trudging through the nearly waist high grass between the road and the fence.

"We're gonna be covered in chiggers tonight," Maggie warned them as they pushed their way through.

"Better a chigger chewin' on ya than a walker," Daryl replied garnering a chuckle from Carl and Michonne.

As they got closer, it was obvious that Rick and the others were pleased with what they'd found. He had a big grin on his face as he pulled Carl and Judy into a big bear hug. "I think y'all are gon' like what we found," he told them happily.

They walked around the perimeter of the fence to a large gate that the chain had been cut from. Several walkers with newly acquired large holes in their heads lay scattered near the gate. "See ya had a little opposition," Daryl commented but Rick just shrugged his shoulders.

They walked through the gate and across a black top parking lot. Only one vehicle sat in the designated space for museum security. It was a blue compact four door with a State of Georgia seal on the door. It was covered in dust and two of the tires were flat. There was no one inside but it didn't appear to have been moved at all in quite some time. As they walked past, Eugene wiped off a spot on the driver's side window to peer in. "I might be able to get this vehicle back in working order," he offered but no one even paused to pay any attention. He quickly shuffled along behind the others with his head hung low. Daryl wondered how it was possible that they'd ever believed the nerdy dude with the mullet could be the savior of humanity.

A small pane of glass near the door handle was broken which was obviously how they'd gotten inside. Just beyond the doors lay the body of another walker. This one wore a black and white security uniform. A neat round hole surrounded with a shadow of gunpowder now decorated the center of his forehead. "We'll clean that up later," Rick said as he kept walking along the corridor in front of them, "Now, come on and see what we found."

They went past displays of rocks and minerals as well as posters that showed different geological information about the state until they reached another hallway where they turned left. The building had skylights so they had enough natural light to see without flashlights. There were classrooms set up on either side of the hall with empty chairs and dead computer screens sitting in straight lines waiting for the students that would never come.

A door at the end of the hallway was marked "Employees Only" and it was through this door that Rick gleefully led them. Inside was a soda machine and a vending machine full of crackers, chips and candy. Both machines had been broken open but were still more than half full. It was like the place hadn't been touched. The security guard must have gone down early or he would have cleaned the machines out over the past year.

"Do I see Big Cat bars in there?" Michonne asked pushing her way forward. "Dibs!" she and Carl shouted simultaneously before erupting into giggles. Daryl grabbed a root beer from the soda machine. It was warm but damn it tasted fine. The sight of food, drink and at least short term shelter put everyone in a good mood for the moment.

"Tyrese is watchin' the front of the building," Rick told them. The fence is secure everywhere except at the front gate. We're gonna pull the fire truck around and block it and settle in here for the night. Beth get that cut on Daryl's head tended to while we get the perimeter secured. Y'all check out the rest of the building for any other supplies we can use. "

Rick headed back out with Abe, Rosita, Glenn and Sasha. Daryl still didn't like sitting around with the women and children but he didn't mind so much when he felt Beth's hand on his arm.

"Come on, Mr. Dixon. Let's get you cleaned up," she teased as she pulled him over toward a corner table. She grabbed a pack of paper napkins and a bottle of water. He sat and watched as she wet a few of the napkins and then carefully began to wipe around the cut near his ear. He didn't say anything for a few minutes as she slowly dabbed away at the dried blood and dirt that caked the side of his face.

After a while, the others had all gone off in different directions to search the building. They were alone like they had been back in the kitchen at the mortuary just before everything went to hell. He looked over at her.

"What? What are you lookin' at?" she asked playfully.

"Mm nm," he mumbled with a shoulder shrug.

"Nope. You're not getting' away with just that, not again. Come on and talk to me darn it," she demanded.

Daryl was completely flustered. He quickly stood up and walked across the room. "Let's…let's go check out some of the other rooms. Maybe they got a first aid kit or somethin'," he said, pretending not to notice the angry glance she shot in his direction. His head was throbbing worse than ever since she'd been worrying over it with those damn paper napkins. He wished for the second time that he'd held on to some of Merle's pills for an occasion like this.

Most everyone else was searching towards the front of the building. Carl was fascinated with all the displays and gadgets. He walked towards the back with Beth close on his heels. They found another side hallway leading to several small offices. The first held a desk with a bunch of pictures of a smiling Mom and two kids along with a fuzzy little white pup of some kind. He went straight for the desk drawers, digging past the assorted pens and paper clips in search of something useful. Beth picked up one of the frames and gazed wistfully at the pictures before laying it carefully face down on the desk. It hurt to remember how simple and carefree life used to be, back when they took the happiness depicted in those photos for granted.

Darryl grunted, "Aha!" as he pulled out a small box of bandages and a tube of antibiotic ointment.

"Really, Daryl? Band-aids for a gunshot wound?" Beth asked sarcastically.

"Better than nothin'," he replied as he continued the search. A half full box of stale granola bars sat in the bottom drawer along with a nearly full bottle of ibuprofen. Daryl opened the bottle and swallowed four of the tablets with a gulp of water from the bottle Beth was carrying. They took their loot and continued to the next office.

A small nameplate next to the door read, Jasper Whaley, Director. The office was larger and more nicely furnished than the previous one. The same types of family pictures were displayed, but the desk was very clean and orderly. The top drawer contained only office supplies. A small bookshelf near the back of the room revealed a hidden treasure for Daryl, an unopened pack of cigarettes stuck behind a large book on the Civil War. "Secret smoker," Daryl told Beth as he pocketed his find.

The last office was obviously the security room. One wall contained several monitors which must have connected to a closed circuit surveillance system. A sleeping bag lay in one corner with a few paperback books scattered around it along with some empty soda cans. The guard they'd encountered must have been holed up in here for a bit before he got sick and turned.

"God bless security guards," Daryl said as he picked up a half full bottle of Jack Daniels from the table on the right side of the room. He opened the bottle and wiped the neck a couple of times before taking a big slug.

"Daryl!" Beth scolded, "You don't need to be drinkin'."

"I just got shot," he told her bluntly, "I think I deserve a drink if I feel like it without gettin' a lecture about it. 'Sides, I seem to remember you being fond of a drink not too long ago," he mentioned slyly as he took another couple of swallows of the smoky brown nectar. His headache was already beginning to ease. They also found a small first aid kit in a locker behind the door. It contained some antiseptic wipes and gauze which would work to clean and bandage his wound. Beth made him sit down in the security guard's chair while she went to work patching him up.

The antiseptic wipes stung like a bitch but rather than complaining he just took a few more chugs of Jack. By the time the gauze was wrapped around his head, he was feeling no pain at all. Beth put her arms around his head and hugged him to her chest.

"I'm so glad you found me Daryl. I knew you would," she said as she held his head. He could feel the warmth of her body and hear her heartbeat. He reached up and put his arms around her waist. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes, just holding onto each other without saying a word. It was the safest Daryl could remember feeling in a very long time. Beth stepped back quickly when they heard a voice from the doorway.

"Um, hey, we were wondering where you got off to," Maggie said, looking very puzzled as she studied the situation she'd found her baby sister in.

"Oh, we're fine," Beth told her, "just found some first aid supplies to get Daryl's head bandaged up."

"Well, come on back to the main room. We found some more stuff in the gift shop," she told them and then stood waiting for them to join her. She took Beth's arm and pulled her along down the hall ahead of Daryl. He smiled to himself thinking what Maggie was probably saying to her little sister as they walked. He started along behind them down the hall but it suddenly just seemed too damn far to walk. He stepped back inside the security office and eased himself down onto the sleeping bag on the floor.

After surviving the past few days on nothing more than a couple of cat naps, he was beyond exhausted. The liquor made it seem all too sensible to just lay back and close his eyes for a couple of minutes. He was soon curled on his side snoring, the bottle of Jack still clutched in his hand.

Sometime later Daryl woke when he felt someone touch his forehead. His eyes fluttered open as he drew back slightly. He'd come to expect the worst when something woke him at night. Instead, he found a sweet face with big blue eyes bending to kiss his forehead .

"Hey, mister, you finally awake?" she asked.

"Yeah, how long've I been out?" he asked sitting up groggily.

"I don't know. A few hours I guess. Everybody else except Rick and the new guy are asleep. They're out keeping watch. They found these blankets and stuffed animals that make halfway decent pillows in the gift shop. I was just bringing you one in case you got cold. How are you feelin'?" she asked. "Does your head still hurt?"

"A little but this time I think it's more from the booze than the gash," he told her.

She sat down cross legged on the floor next to him and folded her hands in her lap. "What happened to y'all, Daryl? After we got separated? How'd you find the rest of them and what happened at Terminus? Maggie told me some of it but Rick and Glenn won't talk about it and Carol is just not talking about anything anymore. Can you tell me?"

"I reckon. It ain't pretty. You sure ya want to hear it?" he asked sincerely.

"I need to know, Daryl. I keep imaginin' all sorts of things. I know it's bad. I can see it in your eyes and in Rick's. He's so different now. Everyone is," Beth explained.

"Yeah, I guess we are," he said.

"Can you tell me?" she asked again, quietly.

"I tried to follow that car that took ya. I couldn't keep up," he told her.

"I knew you would," she said, placing her hand on top of his.

"I joined up with a group of guys for a while. They were …evil. I knew they were trouble but I didn't realize how much until they attacked Rick, Michonne and Carl at a campsite one night. I tried to talk to 'em, to stop 'em but they were on some kind of revenge trip. The leader said Rick killed one of their group before I met 'em. They were gonna hurt Carl and Rick just lost it. He ripped the leader's throat out with his teeth, Beth. With his teeth! I thought I'd never see nothin' worse than that," he told her. He'd begun to shake a little as he talked.

She leaned in toward him and put her other hand on his. He took her tiny hands and clasped them in his own before he spoke again. "We followed the signs to Terminus, figured maybe some of the others were there. It was all a trap. They took us as prisoners, locked us in a train car. After a couple of days, they came and took me, Rick, Glenn and Bob out. They took us in a room with a bunch of other men . We were all tied up, hands and feet, and gagged. They started at one end, bashing the men's heads in and slicing their throats." The memory of the sounds and smells of the abattoir room suddenly came back to him in a flash. He almost gagged.

"Daryl, you don't have to tell me any more," she said gently. "It's okay."

"Carol…..she saved us. She blew up a gas tank at the fence and stopped the executions. Gave Rick time to get free. We found bodies that they were drying like sides of beef. They were eatin' people, Beth. How could somebody do that?" He was shivering now as he continued to speak. " We got everybody out alive. Walkers got in and Terminus got overrun. Carol and Tyrese had Judith and were waitin' outside the fence. That's how we all found each other again," he continued. "Carol and Tyrese met up right after the prison fell. They'd been together like we were."

"And then you and Carol saw the black car and followed it to Atlanta and met Noah. He told me that part," she continued for him. "So much has happened to all of us. I had it easy compared to what y'all went through."

"That bitch that hurt you, Beth, I'm so sorry that happened. I should never have left you alone," he said.

"Daryl, you saved my life. Dawn and those other assholes in Atlanta were just mean but they weren't butchers. I'm sorry for what all of you had to do to survive and then you still had to come and rescue me," she told him.

"I would never have left you behind once I found out where you were," Daryl told her.

She smiled and nodded. "I know that."

Neither of them spoke for a bit, not knowing exactly what to say. That always seemed to happen when they got close to saying how they felt.

"So what happens now?" she asked him. "Do you think we'll stay here?"

"Beth, it's not gonna be like it was at the prison. I don't think it can be like that again. Rick's changed. The world's not what we thought it was. There is no safety now, no matter what we do. We're going to be fightin' and runnin' till we die. That's all that's left," he told her.

"No," she flatly stated. "No, that's not true. Y'all had bad things happen to you, did terrible things to survive but we can still come back from this. We can build somethin' good again, Daryl. Maybe here or maybe somewhere else but we're not givin' up. We're still here and we're together again. We can't give up. Daddy would want us all to keep tryin'," she told him as tears formed in her eyes.

"I don't know, Beth," he told her.

"I know. We can do it. We will do it. It's not okay to just survive. We have to live. Do you hear me?" she asked angrily as she wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"When did you get so tough?" he asked with a hint of a smile as he rubbed his thumbs across the backs of her hands.

"I had a good teacher," she replied as she leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth.

He pulled away from her, "What …what are you doin, girl?"

"I think you're old enough to know what a kiss is," she said as she turned and snuggled into his side on the edge of sleeping bag and pulled the thin souveiner blanket over them both.

"You can't sleep here, Beth," he said quickly, scooting over to keep space from her.

"You gonna stop me?" she asked as she closed the space he'd made. With her back against his chest, she laid her head on his arm and closed her eyes. He thought about just moving his arm and getting up to leave her there alone. Maggie was going to have a fit if she found Beth sleeping with him. Hell, all of them would probably have a fit. He knew he should move and he really tried to make himself. Maybe it was still the effect of the bourbon or maybe it was just that he needed to hold onto someone but he didn't move a muscle. In fact, before he fell asleep, he put his other arm over her waist and snuggled a bit closer.


	3. Chapter 3

Sasha woke Maggie sometime in the early morning hours so that she could take her shift on watch. As she pushed herself up from the makeshift bed, she glanced around the room. Everyone that wasn't on watch was in the room, everyone except Daryl and Beth. She had sensed something different between them from the very moment they found Beth. Then after seeing them together earlier she'd begun to worry. Beth was still so young. She didn't want her little sister to get her heart broken.

Maggie had spoken to Beth the night before, asked her what was going on with Daryl, but Beth acted like it was no big deal. "Daryl's a good man, Maggie. He saved my life and taught me to survive. We're friends. Is that okay with you?" Beth had asked, seeming resentful of Maggie's concern. Nevertheless, Maggie saw it as her job to keep Beth safe so she decided to find out where the two missing members of the group had disappeared to. Tiptoeing back down the hallway toward the security office, she could hear soft snoring coming from the room. She stepped to the doorway and was shocked to see her baby sister lying on a sleeping bag snuggled against the crossbow toting redneck. Daryl even had a protective arm draped over Beth's side.

Maggie stormed back up the hallway. She had to cool off before she said something she'd regret to Daryl or Beth. She was marching across the lobby when Glenn jumped up to follow her. Once they were outside he grabbed her arm and asked, "What's wrong? What happened? I know this look and you're angry about something."

"It's Beth and Daryl. Beth and Daryl, Glenn. That's just crazy don't you think? He's too old and too…too rough for her. It'll never work. I have to do something before she makes a huge mistake." Maggie sputtered through her anger.

"Wait. What? What about Daryl and Beth? Just slow down and tell me what's going on," he pleaded.

"I don't know for sure but I think that Beth and Daryl are….in some kind of relationship or something. I went looking for her and they were sleeping together. I mean not….they were just sleeping, nothing else, but they've been acting awfully cozy and something's going on. I need to protect my sister," Maggie told him.

Glenn sort of half grinned before quickly hiding his reaction. "You think Beth and Daryl like each other. I mean like more than friends. Daryl Dixon with a girlfriend? Maggie you can't be serious. This is Daryl we're talking about."

"I know it sounds crazy but I saw them. Go back to the security room and you'll see for yourself," she dared him.

"Okay, I will," he told her as he turned and headed back inside. He couldn't believe that Maggie was making such a big deal out of this. Beth was concerned about Daryl because he was injured. She had probably gone to check on him during the night and fallen asleep in the room. Glenn was pretty sure this was some sort of strange PMS or something on Maggie's part but he knew enough to keep his mouth shut about such things where his wife was concerned.

As he stepped into the doorway, he was taken back a step by the scene before him. Daryl and Beth were spooned together on the floor like lovers. Maggie was right. He couldn't help but grin at the thought. Daryl Dixon whose favorite quote was "Romance is bullshit" had been bitten by the love bug. This was going to be grounds for all sorts of teasing in the future. Glenn was already planning ways to pay back the man who'd always had something to say back when he and Maggie first got together.

Daryl heard some noise and opened his eyes just a bit. He leaned up slightly to see Glenn standing in the doorway. "Hey, man, what's going on? You need me for somethin'?"

"Uh, nope, no. Everything's fine. Just looking for Beth and I found her so, that's it. Go back to sleep. Yep, everything's fine," Glenn said a bit nervously, trying hard to hide his grin.

At the mention of Beth, Daryl realized that she was still lying right next to him. He quickly sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Look, man, it ain't what it looks like okay. She, uh, she just feel asleep. I didn' wanna wake her up. Nothin' happened."

Glenn just stood there grinning as he explained but their conversation woke Beth who sat up and stretched. "Morning," she said to them both as she pushed her hair back out of her face.

"Morning, Beth," Glenn said quickly. "Uh, Maggie was looking for you earlier."

Beth looked from Glenn to Daryl and quickly realized what had happened. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine. I'll talk to her later," she told him. "Daryl and I will join y'all for breakfast after while."

"Okay, then, I'll just let her know," Glenn said as he turned to leave them. He couldn't believe it. Beth and Daryl. He had to talk to Rick about this. There were going to be fireworks between the Greene sisters over this situation and he was going to need some backup. He found Rick sitting against the wall with Judith asleep on his chest. Michonne lay asleep on one side and Carl on the other. Rick wasn't asleep. He never seemed to sleep anymore. He spoke very quietly, trying to keep from waking anyone. "Hey, Rick , can I talk to you for a minute?" he whispered.

Rick gently laid Judith down next to Michonne and got up to follow Glenn across the room. "What's going on? Is there a problem?" he asked seriously as they stepped into the museum vestibule. "Are the walkers building up on the fence?"

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just, um, Maggie found Beth and Daryl together this morning. They're apparently sort of a couple now," Glen informed him.

Rick looked a bit shocked. He reached up and rubbed his chin plaintively for a moment before grinning. "Well, I wondered with the way Beth was worryin' over him but I just never thought….I mean this is Daryl we're talkin' about. Are you sure?" he asked.

"I had the same reaction when Maggie told me but I went and checked myself. They were snuggled up together back in the security office like two bugs in a rug as Hershel would say. I mean it looked pretty cozy. Maggie is practically hysterical. She thinks Daryl's too old for Beth and she wants to protect her little sister. From Beth's attitude, I can tell she's going to be even more stubborn than Maggie. Then there's everyone else's reaction to the whole thing. What do you think we should do?" Glen asked.

"Well, I'm sure Maggie will have concerns," Rick began in his most fatherly sounding voice. "Beth is a bit young but Daryl's a good man. I don't think he'd take advantage of her or anything. They just probly got close while they were alone after the prison. I just can't see…..are you really sure? Beth and Daryl?" he asked again, failing to hide the boyish delight he was finding in the whole situation.

Glen couldn't help himself. He began to grin as well. "Yep, it's true. You know I owe him for all the crap he used to give me and Maggie. I can't wait for the payback," Glenn admitted.

"Maybe I should go talk to him, to both of them. I mean let 'em know Maggie's on the warpath. Besides, I gotta see this for myself," he said as he headed back toward the security room.

After being rather rudely awakened, Beth and Daryl sat just sort of staring at each other for a moment. Daryl knew last night before they fell asleep that this was going to happen. He just didn't think it would be so soon. He should have made her leave last night. This was crazy. He was at least 15 years older than her. There was no way this was going to work out. He should just tell her now and get it over with.

"Beth," he started but before he could say more she put her hand over his mouth.

"Don't!" she told him. "Don't you ruin last night by sayin' somethin' dumb. I know Maggie's gonna be mad. Everybody's gonna be surprised. I'm silly little Beth and you're the great Daryl Dixon. Nobody is gonna understand but that doesn't mean we have to do what they expect. I care about you Daryl and I know you feel the same way about me. We can't just pretend things haven't changed to make everybody else feel more comfortable."

Daryl wanted to stay very stern and serious but he just couldn't stop himself from smiling as he listened to her. She cared about him. Those words and the feeling of her hand against his lips were giving him all sorts of sensations that he wasn't exactly familiar with.

"Mkay," he mumbled against her hand before gently and rather regretfully pulling it away from his mouth. "Now, can I say somethin'?"

"I don't know," she said smiling. "Do I want to hear it?"

"Um, I was just gon say I don't want to lose you again, so you ain't gotta worry about Maggie or anybody else changin' my mind on that. Kay?" he told her.

"Yeah, okay," she said with a big grin.

"As for this thing between us, let's just give it some time, and it'd fine if you want to do that again, what you done last night I mean?" Daryl said rather bashfully.

"What do you mean?" she said teasingly.

"You know," he told her.

"No, I don't know. You have to talk to me, Daryl. I don't read minds," she said. "What did I do last night that was so okay that you wouldn't mind doin' it again?"

"Come on Beth," he said. "You know what I mean."

"Lord, I guess I do have to be a mind reader with you, don't I?" she said in exasperation but she also leaned over and softly touched her lips to his. His big rough hand reached up to cup her cheek before she pulled away.

"This ain't gon be easy," he whispered as they sat with their foreheads touching. "You know that, dontcha?"

"Daddy always said nothin' good is ever easy," she replied.

The sound of a loud stomp in the doorway caused them to pull away from each other quickly. They turned to find Rick looking rather gobsmacked standing there staring.

"Is Maggie sending everybody back here to check on me now?" Beth sat straight up and asked angrily.

"Um, no, actually Glen wanted me to come back here. He says Maggie is sorta worried about this," Rick said pointing to the two of them.

Beth started to get up. Daryl could tell she was getting fired up and ready to go after her big sister and Glenn. He gently laid a hand on her arm and asked Rick, "What's she worried about?"

Rick didn't seem to know how to answer for a second. "Well, I…ah, I guess you'll need to talk to Maggie," he stammered a bit. "I'll just go and tell her everything's fine."

"You just tell her that I said…." Beth started to get really riled up but Daryl just patted her arm a second time.

"We'll be on out in a bit and talk to her," Daryl said with more calm than he was actually feeling. He didn't want to screw this up for Beth's sake. He might not know the exact right thing to do and say but he wasn't gonna let Beth and Maggie end up going at each other over him.

"Okay, then. Uh, sorry to bother you," Rick told them before taking his leave. He walked back toward the main room shaking his head in bewildered amusement. Daryl Dixon and Beth Greene. Who would have ever thought? Rick had a bit of a different perspective than Maggie, though. He knew how loyal, honest and kind Daryl really was. Despite his rough exterior, he probably had the softest heart of any of them. He felt pretty sure that Hershel wouldn't be nearly as alarmed as Maggie seemed to be. Hershel also knew what kind of man Daryl was. He and Rick had spoken about how much Daryl had changed since they first knew him. They knew how hard Daryl worked to ensure the survival of the group and how much they owed to the man with the crossbow.

Rick wondered how Carol was going to feel about this whole thing. Daryl and Carol had always seemed to share a bond. No one had ever really been able to define whether it was just a deep friendship or something more intimate. Carol had changed so much since the prison and whatever was between them had changed as well. They still cared about each other but Carol was haunted now by something she wouldn't discuss. She seemed distant even in the midst of the group. The only person she seemed to connect at all with was Tyrese. They had shared something that none of the others could understand and it made them close. He hoped that she wouldn't feel slighted by Daryl's interest in Beth but there was no hiding the situation from the rest of the group. One thing about living the way that they did was that no one had secrets or if they did, they didn't have them for long.

The sun was starting to come up so he knew that the others would be awake soon. He walked outside to where Glenn was standing and talking with Maggie. He could hear her speaking angrily to him but she quickly stopped as he approached.

"Hey, I talked to Daryl. He says he'll be out directly to talk to you," Rick told her.

"Oh, and exactly what did he tell you Rick? He's nearly twice her age. There's nothing right about this and both of you know it. Daddy would put a stop to this if he were here. Daryl Dixon is not good enough for my sister," Maggie angrily declared.

"Whoa, Maggie. I gotta stop you right there. If there's one thing I know about this, it's that your Daddy would never say something like that about Daryl. Hershel respected Daryl. He might balk a little because of the age difference but damn it, Maggie, nobody gets to be a kid anymore. Beth's grown into a strong woman over the past year or two. You need to open your eyes and see her for who she is now and not the little girl you remember from the farm," Rick cautioned her.

Rick's stern words gave Maggie pause. She realized that she was thinking of Beth as a child and Daryl as some older man predator. She turned away from the two men as tears sprang to her eyes. "I just don't want anything to happen to her," Maggie whispered.

Glenn reached over and pulled her close. "Daryl would never hurt her," he told her. "He'd die to protect any of us. You know that."

"I know. I didn't mean what I said. I know Daryl's a good man. I guess I feel like Beth's my responsibility since Daddy's gone. "

Rick patted her on the shoulder. "After what I saw at the hospital, I think Bethy can take care of herself. She'll always need you as a sister but I don't think you have to worry about her." He turned then and left them alone to talk. As he walked back inside he could hear Michonne talking quietly to Judith as she fed her some type of mashed up goo from a baby food jar.

"Mornin' ladies," he said as he walked over to sit beside them. Judith grinned and held out her hands to be picked up.

"Oh, I see how it is," Michonne teased. "I have to wake up and feed you but Daddy is gonna get all the hugs, huh?"

Rick picked up his daughter and kissed her forehead. Somehow he managed to get mashed bananas smeared on his cheek but he didn't care. He was just so glad to have his little one back in his arms again. He sat down on the floor next to Michonne and held Judy in his lap as she continued to eat her breakfast.

"You're up awfully early." Michonne said. "What's going on? Is there a problem outside?"

"Yes and no," Rick drawled. "It's not walkers but we got a situation that's gonna raise a few eyebrows."

Michonne looked surprised. "What is it? Is it Maggie and Glenn?"

"No, they're fine. It's Beth…..and Daryl," he said quietly.

"Beth and Daryl? What happened?" she asked with a puzzled expression. "Daryl seemed fine last night."

"Oh, he's fine and so is she. It's just that Maggie found them sleeping together this morning and I walked in on them kissing," Rick admitted.

Michonne seemed speechless for a moment. "Daryl….our Daryl, the surly redneck with the crossbow? You saw him kissing Beth?" she asked, incredulous.

"Mm hm," he said, nodding.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed with a huge smile. "That's ….just…sort of insane and wonderful all at the same time. Don't you think?"

"Yeah. I kinda do," he chuckled, "but Maggie doesn't feel quite the same way."

Carl sat up groggily. "Hey what's all the noise about?" he asked.

"Nothin' son. Go back to sleep," he said.

"No, I'm up now. Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's good. Perimeter is safe. Nothin' to worry about," Rick told him.

"Well, I'm gonna go get one of those packs of Pop Tarts from the vending machine before anybody else takes 'em," he informed them as he got up and headed for the break room.

The others had all started to stir as well. Carol was still very sore and bruised from the car accident in Atlanta. She had taken some of the ibuprofen they found last night but Rick could see that she was still moving very slow this morning. He handed Judith back to Michonne and went over to help her up.

"Hey, Carol, you need a hand?" he asked extending an arm to help her up.

"Thanks, Rick," she replied as she eased herself up from the floor with a bit of a grunt.

"You okay? You need anything?" he asked.

"No, thanks. I'm gonna walk around a bit and work some of the stiffness out," she told him. "I'll be o…..oh my gosh," she said as she stared across the room.

Rick turned to look. Daryl and Beth had just walked into the room holding hands. Beth was grinning from ear to ear. Daryl was looking especially sheepish with his bandaged head and still healing black eye. Rick bit his lip to hide a smile. He looked down to see what Carol's reaction was. For a moment all he could sense was her shock but then slowly she began to smile.

"You sure you're okay?" Rick asked again.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm really fine," she told him as she looked steadily up into his eyes. Both of them knew that she was talking about a lot more than her injuries at that point.

"Good morning, you two," Carol said as the couple walked over to where she and Rick were standing.

"Mornin' Carol," Beth said.

"We were lookin' for Maggie," Daryl told them.

"She's out front with Glenn," Rick informed them. "Ah, you want to get some breakfast or somethin' first?"

"Nah, gotta get this over with," he said gruffly before turning and walking towards the door with Beth right beside him.


	4. Chapter 4

Beth squeezed Daryl's hand tightly as they walked out the door of the science museum. The morning air was chilly. Maggie and Glen were standing near the gate. Beth could tell even from across the distance that she had been crying. Glen was standing close to her with his arm around her shoulders. Beth kept her hand firmly in Daryl's even when he tried to pull away under Maggie's glare. She kept her gaze steady, her eyes locked on Maggie.

"Hey," Glenn said, obviously nervous at the tension hanging in the air.

"Mornin'," Daryl replied, nervous as well.

Maggie didn't speak. She looked from her sister to Daryl with her jaw clenched and lips set in a firm straight line. Daryl wanted to be the one to step forward and ease the tension but he didn't know what to say. When it came to women he was clueless and this was a situation that was going to require some finesse. If he said the wrong thing, he could make the whole situation worse. He shuffled his feet a few times and cleared his throat. It was now or never. He took a deep breath and started, "Maggie.." but Beth interrupted him before he could go any further.

"Daryl, would you and Glen leave me and Maggie alone for a minute?" Beth asked.

Daryl glanced over. The two sisters had locked eyes and looked ready for battle. Daryl was actually relieved to be able to step back to the sidelines and let them work it out although he felt a little guilty about leaving it all to Beth. He looked at Glenn whose eyes seemed to be pleading "Come on, man, let's go," so he and Glenn stepped away and moved back toward the door of the museum.

Once they were alone, Beth began, "Maggie, I know you're worried about me but I'm not a child. I care about Daryl and I know he cares about me. This is not what anybody expected, not even me, but it's happened and I'm not gonna just forget about how I feel because you don't like it."

"Bethy, you're so young," Maggie told her sister as she stepped closer and put her hand on Beth's cheek. "You don't know anything about men. You've never had more than a crush before. Daryl is way too old for you. I don't want you to get your heart broken. There will be guys your own age ….."

"I don't care about age," Beth quickly replied as she moved a step away from her sister. "Age doesn't mean anything, especially now. No one gets a lot of time anymore, Maggie. If we don't try to be happy with whatever time we have then what is it all for? All we have is now and right now I want to be with Daryl. He makes me happy. He's sweet and caring. He has the biggest heart and he'd do anything to protect me, to protect all of us. He is a few years older than me, but as I've gotten to know him, I realized that he's still a kid in a lot of ways. " As Beth talked, tears were forming in her eyes. She hadn't really even admitted the full extent of her feelings to herself but it all seemed to be coming out a she talked to Maggie.

Maggie saw the emotion in her sister's face and felt it in the way that she was speaking. She reached over and grabbed Beth's hand. "God, you really have grown up? And you love him, don't you?" she asked quietly.

Beth looked up at her older sister with tears glistening in her eyes, "Yes, I do. He would never admit it but he feels the same way about me. He's just too Daryl to do something like that, but I know he does." They both laughed at that.

Maggie took a moment to get herself under control before she spoke. "I know Daryl's a good guy. I guess I was worried that you didn't know what you were doing but I can see that I was wrong. You're a woman and I have to respect that you know what's right for you. I still don't get it. I mean Daryl eats squirrel brains for breakfast," they both chuckled at that, "but as long as he treats you right, I'm okay with it."

"Really?" Beth asked with a hint of a smile.

"Yes, really," Maggie said as she reached to pull her sister into a hug.

The two of them talked for a few more minutes before starting to walk back toward their men waiting a short distance away. Daryl was puzzled by the change in their attitude. Where they had been angry and cold towards each other a few minutes before, they were now hugging and smiling. Daryl looked over at Glenn questioningly.

"Man, don't ask me. I still haven't figured them out," Glenn whispered. "I just go with it. If she's happy I'm happy. Got it?"

Daryl most certainly didn't get it but he was happy to see that Maggie and Beth were on good terms.

Beth walked over and hugged him whispering, "It's okay. Everything's fine." Daryl wasn't exactly sure what to do with his hands especially with Glenn and Maggie watching every move, but Beth whispered once again, "Just put your arms around me and hug me back." He did as she instructed, glancing over to see their companions' reactions. Neither Glenn nor Maggie seemed to have a problem with it. In fact, they began walking back towards the lobby and left Beth and Daryl alone.

Beth pulled back but kept her arms around his neck. He was looking everywhere except at her. It was hard for him to look directly at her. It made him feel much too nervous and unsure of himself. "Hey," she said, finally pulling his gaze towards those eyes of softest blue, "what are you thinkin' about?"

"Mm mm," he mumbled. She cocked a scolding eyebrow. "Okay, I know. I gotta talk. It's weird for me to, you know, act like that around other people," he admitted.

"I know. I don't want you to change who you are, Daryl, but opening up just a little could be a good thing. I'm not gonna be mad if you don't want to hug me or hold my hand around the others. I like you, Daryl Dixon, and I'm gonna keep likin' you either way," she promised.

"Well, a'ight then. I'm gettin' hungry. How 'bout we go find some breakfast?" he asked as he reached over and took her hand before they began to walk inside. His act of affection was rewarded with a triumphant smile from Beth.

The breakfast options included chips, candy bars and assorted rolls of breath mints along with cans of soda and fruit punch. Daryl opted for corn chips while Beth took a Hershey bar. "Chocolate for breakfast?" he asked with a grimace.

"Chocolate is the perfect any time food," she responded with a satisfied sigh as she chomped into the squares of slightly stale chocolate.

They sat down on the floor near where Abraham and Rick were consulting the map they had used the day before. Daryl scooted over so that he could see what they were talking about.

"I say we stay here another day or two, let everyone rest up. It's not safe to stay for long, though, too close to the highway and the fences are too low," Abraham told them.

"Yeah, if we get more than a few walkers, they'll get through this fence, "Rick agreed

Daryl asked Rick to let him see the map. He took it and checked a few different routes. "Look, here," Daryl pointed to a spot near the town of Lagrange. "I heard from the guys I was travelling with that they passed a place down here that could work for us. It used to be a safari park or something where you could drive through and look at animals or some shit. The fences are high and they're strong, had to be to keep in the animals. It's a big space with buildins' and even has a creek that runs through it. "

"If it was so great, why didn't your friends stay there?" Abraham asked.

"Weren't no friends but they wasn't exactly the settlin' down types. They kept movin' so they could find more people to prey on. I didn't think much about it till we got everybody back together after Terminus," Daryl explained.

"It's probably 60 or 70 miles away, though," Rick cautioned. That's a long trek for somethin' we're not sure of."

"I could go, take a couple of people with me, and check it out," Daryl offered.

"No, Daryl, we're not getting' separated again," Rick told him. "It's not worth it."

"Rick, we gotta find some place safe. Winter's comin'. We can't be on the run out in the cold every day with Judith. I'll find a car and it wouldn't take but a day, maybe two, depending on what we come across," Daryl said.

"I don't know, Daryl. I just don't know," Rick said as he rubbed his hand across his chin in a distracted manner.

"Pardon my French," Abe interjected, "but who the hell made you the president?"

Daryl and Rick both bristled. "I guess you got some goddamned brilliant idea to save us all like your little friend Eugene?" Daryl responded angrily. "What the hell have you done for this group except lie to us?"

"You redneck son of a bitch," Abraham yelled, getting to his feet quickly. " I didn't know Eugene was lying. I thought I was helping y'all. "

"Well don't that just show what a great leader you turned out to be?" Daryl yelled right back.

"Hey, stop it," Rick said quietly as he stepped in between them. "We can't be fighting against each other. There's enough going on outside to keep our anger focused on. Let's just think this over today. Maybe we can figure somethin' out."

Rick walked away from them and Daryl turned his back to walk over to where Beth was sitting. Abraham stood silently for a minute or two with his fists clenched before walking away to sit with Rosita.

Rick went over and picked Judith up and sat back down next to Michonne and Carl. "You know who you reminded me of just then," Michonne asked him. He shook his head. "You sounded a lot like Hershel." Rick smiled. The comparison was bittersweet. He still missed the old farmer every day.

The day was fairly uneventful. Two people were on watch at all times but they rotated shifts so that everyone could get some much needed rest. Tyrese and Sasha went back to the firetruck and got out the provisions that Abraham's group had managed to pack up. It wasn't much but it gave them some more substantial food than the vending machine junk. If they were going to stay much longer, they'd need to make a supply run soon.

As the sun began to set, Daryl and Beth snuck off to the security office to be alone for a while after spending the whole day as the subject of stares and whispers. No one seemed upset by their new status but it was definitely unexpected and obviously offered a bit of entertainment to some of their friends.

Daryl was relieved once they were away from the rest of the group. "They'll stop even noticin' in a day or two," Beth promised him. "Don't you remember when Maggie and Glenn first started goin' together? After a while nobody paid any attention."

"Yeah I do remember and I gave Glenn hell for a while. I ain't lookin' forward to the payback," Daryl replied.

"Oh, come on, Glenn likes to kid around but he's like my brother. I think he's happy for us," she told him.

"I reckon," he admitted grudgingly.

"Let's quit talkin' about them," Beth said shyly as she slid closer to where Daryl sat leaning against the wall. "Why don't we play a game?"

Daryl laughed. "What kinda game?"

"How about Never Have I Ever?" she said.

"As I remember, that didn' go so well last time. 'Sides we ain't go nothin' to drink. I finished most of the liquor off last night," he confessed.

"Well we could do somethin' else. How bout if I win, you have to kiss me?" she asked playfully.

"What if I win?" he asked.

"I don't know. I guess I could kiss you?" She told him, now getting a bit shy.

"I reckon that's fair," he agreed with a shy smile. "You go first."

"Okay. Hmm, I've never driven a motorcycle before," she said. Daryl leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips before pondering what to say on his turn.

"I've never gone to a school dance," he said.

"Really?" she asked but she leaned over gave him a tiny kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Umm, let me think," she said, "I've never been in a fist fight."

Daryl could see he was in trouble. Beth knew how to play this game. He leaned over but this time he let his mouth linger a bit longer over hers. They were both a bit breathless when he finally broke off their contact.

"I've never been on a date," Daryl admitted rather painfully.

"Never?" Beth gasped. "Oh!" but she leaned over and continued the more intimate kiss that they'd just shared. Beth couldn't help but moan very slightly as she felt his tongue brush her lips. She was sitting with her legs across his so it was easy to just slide over until she was fully in his lap.

Daryl leaned back and hoarsely whispered, "Your turn."

"Okay. I've never said I Love You to anyone except my family," she whispered with her face inches from his.

He sat very still. Her heart sped up a little at the realization that he had never said those words to anyone either.

"I never," he said huskily as he reached to push her hair behind her ears, "had a girl sit in my lap before today."

She sat very still, waiting for a moment. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage for a moment. She couldn't look into his eyes as she admitted, "I've never …had sex before."

He sat very still for a moment but then he slowly leaned forward and began to kiss her again. She wasn't sure if it was a continuation of their game or if he just wanted to keep kissing her but she really didn't care. Somehow she found that she was now straddling his lap and he was pressing against her in a way that both shocked and emboldened her at the same time. He picked her up gently and laid her back onto the sleeping bag they'd shared the night before.

She shyly reached her hand underneath his t-shirt and rubbed across the muscles of his chest. He inhaled sharply at her touch and then reached clumsily toward the hem of her shirt. "Daryl, get the door," she whispered as he moved against her. He seemed not to understand her for a moment but then he looked back at the doorway and stood up to close it. He turned back toward her but then turned back and locked the door behind him.

When he turned back toward Beth, her polo shirt and boots were laying in a heap next to the sleeping bag. She sat looking at him, waiting for him to say something, but he couldn't speak. The only thing he could think to do was remove his own shirt and lower himself down next to her on the floor.

As he began to kiss her again, he felt her trembling underneath his touch. "Are you cold?" he whispered.

"No. I'm nervous. I don't know if I'm doin' any of this right," she admitted.

"It feels just right to me," he told her before confessing, "I don't want to hurt you, Beth."

"It's okay," she promised. "It's just for a second. At least that's what Maggie told me after her first time. I want this, Daryl. I want you."

That was all he needed to hear. He made quick work of removing the rest of their clothes and after that, the rest of the world disappeared. There was nothing but their breath, their lips, and their bodies.

"Maggie was right," Beth thought quickly as their bodies joined for the first time but soon any thought of pain was gone. Daryl was so patient and constantly concerned about her comfort. She worried that he wasn't enjoying things nearly as much as she was but that worry was soon forgotten as well. His enjoyment was quite evident.

Later on, as they lay together, Beth accomplished one of the things on her "Never Have I Ever" list. She turned in Daryl's arms as they lay drowsy and sated and whispered, "I love you, Daryl Dixon." She didn't really expect any reply and she didn't care whether she got one but she felt his lips against her forehead and heard him simply say, "Love you, too." She felt like she could die happy now, no matter what happened.


	5. Chapter 5

Daryl woke very early the next morning. He lay very still for a while just staring at the angel lying next to him. Her golden curls were splayed out over his arm. The two of them were just barely covered by the cheap souvenir blanket but he could feel her skin next to his all along the length of their bodies. It amazed and somewhat terrified him to think what this meant. She'd said she loved him last night. Without even thinking about he'd said the same back to her. For a moment after he said it, he was afraid she'd laugh but she only held him tighter and seemed to almost melt into him. It didn't seem possible that anything this good could or should be happening to Daryl Dixon.

He thought about her shy, breathless confession of last night. It wasn't a surprise to hear that Beth was a virgin. What he wanted to say was that even though he wasn't technically, he might as well be. The only times he'd ever been with a woman was when he was drunk off his ass, too drunk to maneuver out of his brother's schemes for picking up women. When he wasn't drunk, he usually made himself scarce well before Merle started talking about partying back at the trailer. He barely remembered the time or two that it happened other than the shame he felt at waking up in bed with some cheap tramp who smelled of stale cigarettes and whiskey. He didn't remember if it even felt good while it was happening.

Last night was an experience that made him want to remember every little detail forever. He thought about the way she'd moved under him, the sounds she made and the look in her eyes. He remembered the way her skin tasted and how soft it felt against his rough hands. Now, she lay breathing softly next to him and he knew it was real. It wasn't something he'd dreamed. She was here with him and he was never going to let her go.

Beth stirred slightly and her eyelids fluttered open. "Daryl? What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"Don't know," he whispered. "It's early. Just go back to sleep."

She was fully awake now and lay looking up at him. "I don't want to sleep," she said. "I'm too happy. And I'm hungry. Let's go find some breakfast."

"You sure you want to get up right now?" he asked as he pulled her into a bear hug.

"Um, well it feels like you have somethin' better in mind so I can wait," she giggled. He leaned down and kissed her gently but the urgency quickly built. They were ready for each other again so quickly that it made Beth's head spin.

A little while later, as they both began to gather the clothes that were strewn around the room, Daryl told Beth about the possibility of him having to leave to go check out the park in Lagrange. She didn't react at first but once her clothes were in place and she'd resecured her ponytail, she told him very matter of factly, "Okay, but I'm going with you."

"No. Look I don't even know for sure if I'm going but if I do, you are staying here," he told her flatly.

She got that determined set to her jaw again and pointed her finger right at his chest, "Daryl Dixon, don't think you're going to boss me around just because we slept together. I'm not letting you out of my sight again. So, if you go, I AM going, end of discussion."

Daryl chuckled. She was one feisty little woman and he was enjoying having her be so protective. He'd just have to figure out some other way to make sure she stayed behind if he needed to go. "A'ight then," he said, just to placate her. They finished dressing and headed out to the main room to get some food.

Only a few of the others in the group were up. Rick was sitting in a chair feeding Judith. Glenn was apparently on his way out to relieve Maggie on watch. As Glenn passed them he asked, "Hey, Daryl. You, ah, feeling okay this morning? All that exertion could be dangerous for a man with a head wound." Daryl shot him a look that said shut up asshole and Glenn just kept on walking without ever losing the big grin on his face.

Daryl sat down next to Rick while Beth went to the break room to try and find them some food.

"You look like you slept well," Rick mentioned with a grin as he spooned food into Judy's mouth.

"Okay, okay. You and Glenn are gonna be on my ass about this, ain't ya?" Daryl asked.

"Well, you gotta admit, Glenn owes you more than a couple as payback," Rick told him.

"I know. Go ahead," Daryl surrendered. He honestly didn't care because he was so happy right now that a little ribbing from friends seemed like a tiny price to pay.

"Nah, brother, I'm happy for ya and for Beth. Finding someone you care about like that, it's a rare thing," Rick said with a sidelong glance in Michonne's direction as he spoke.

Daryl noticed the look and thought for a second, "Rick and Michonne?" but just as quickly dismissed the idea. It couldn't be. "Look, you thought any more about that place down near Lagrange? I feel like it's a risk worth takin'," he offered.

"Yeah, I been thinkin' about it. You're right. We cain't just keep runnin' all winter. I don't like it but I don't know of any other options. The next closest prison is more'n a hundred miles away and it could be completely overrun. We'll ask Glenn and Maggie if they want to go with us to scout the place out. Probably should head out soon as we can. The food's gonna run out soon. We could find some supplies while we're gone," he said.

At just that moment, Beth walked up holding a couple of protein bars and a bottle of water. She handed one of the bars to Daryl. "What are we talkin' about? Is it the trip? I already told Daryl that I'm in,' she told Rick.

Rick looked surprised. "You're goin'?" he asked skeptically. He could see Daryl shake his head once very subtly. He wasn't going to take Beth but he didn't want her to know it.

"Yes, I am goin'. Daryl doesn't think I am but I am. We're a team from now on," she informed them. Neither man had any response. They all just sat silently and munched their food while Judith ate her mashed peas.

Once Maggie came inside, she and Beth paired off for a while for some girl talk. Daryl didn't even want to think about what they might be talking about. He picked up his crossbow and acted like he was going to do his turn on watch. He found Rick outside checking the fence line. "I'm gonna go and check a little further down the road to see if there's any houses or stores. Maybe I can find a vehicle," Daryl told him.

"Okay, wait and I'll go with you," Rick said.

"No, I can move faster on my own and you can keep Beth off my trail. I won't be gone long," Daryl promised as he headed out around the fire truck and quickly disappeared into the bushes across the road. Rick shook his head as he watched his friend leave. The guy had no idea what kind of a shit storm he was bringing down on himself by lying to Beth but Rick figured he had to learn. He turned toward the building to see Beth standing in the doorway watching everything that had just happened.

"Hey, Beth," he started to say as he walked nearer to her.

"Don't talk to me, Rick Grimes," she said as she started moving toward the gate. He could see that she had a pistol stuck in the back waistband of her pants and knife in the sheath on her belt.

"Wait, Beth, I'm not lettin' you go out there by yourself," he told her. He had to run to catch up to her and just made it in time to get through the bushes without losing sight of her. The path that Daryl had taken was discernable even in the high grass if you knew what to look for. He stayed behind Beth a bit and watched. She scanned the ground and began walking in the trail that Daryl had left. At each turn, she'd check around her and then take the correct path. Daryl had taught this girl well. As they approached a storage shed at the back of a yard, Beth ducked and carefully walked in a crouch until she was behind the building. She was about to round the corner of the shed when they heard someone behind them. Rick turned to find Daryl standing there pointing the bow directly towards Beth.

"What the hell are you doin' out here? Rick? Why'd you let her come out here? It's too dangerous," he said quickly and a bit angrily as he lowered the bow.

"I didn't exactly have a choice," he replied just before Beth shot forward and stood right next to Daryl so that she could whisper at him and still be heard. It was the angriest whispering Rick had ever been witness to.

"Daryl Dixon, I told you that you're not leavin' me behind. You can either accept that or I'll just follow you wherever you go. I'm not weak and helpless. You are just being an asshole for treatin' me like a child," she said as she stormed off toward the shed trying hard not to let them see her cry.

"Well, I think I'll leave you two alone," Rick said quickly as he started back toward the road.

"Yeah, thanks," Daryl said sarcastically as he walked over to where Beth stood biting her lip and fighting back tears. "Beth, honey, look, I'm not trying to be an asshole. I shoulda told you the truth. I just don't wanna risk you getting hurt. Do you understand?"

"Daryl, I've always been the good little girl who stays behind and watches the kids, cooks the meals and waits while you and Rick, Maggie and Glenn, everybody else took care of me. I thought that was who I was supposed to be, but it's not. I'm a survivor. We can take care of each other. I don't want to have to wait and wonder if you're alright or if Maggie and Glenn are safe. I don't want to sit watching the road and praying every second that the next second will be the one that your car comes into view. And I can't be the one standing behind the fence watching while someone else dies. I have to do this," she told him and then stood waiting for what he'd say.

"Well, hell, a'ight. Come on. Just stay behind me and no noise, 'kay?" he finally agreed reluctantly.

"Got it, Mr. Dixon," she said to which he gave her a dirty look.

They continued on around the side of the shed into a large back yard. The house was white clapboard with a long back porch that had a swing on one end. A couple of bushes of pink roses had grown riotously over the porch railing over the past summer and the scene looked like something out of the Disney version of Rapunzel. Daryl skirted around the side of the house. A few walkers shambled around aimlessly on the road in front of the house but they were a good 50 yards away. A tan older model Nissan minivan sat in the driveway. It looked to be in pretty good shape. The tires weren't flat. He just hoped he could find keys inside.

He hopped onto the porch with Beth at his heels. The door was locked but he broke a small pane of glass and reached through to unlock it. The inside showed signs that someone had left in a hurry. There were a few clothing items strewn around the room as if they'd been packing in a hurry. Cabinets and drawers were left standing open as was the refrigerator.

"Musta had two cars and left in the other one," Daryl surmised as he walked through the downstairs. If there were any walkers inside, they would have made their presence known by now but still he proceeded cautiously. A small living room was opposite a dining room which had a table covered in empty water bottles and dish towels soaked in dried blood. "Somebody was hurt, maybe bit," he guessed as he walked toward the kitchen. It looked like it had been cleaned out pretty thoroughly. They did find a few cans of vegetables and a box of tea bags. There was a set of hooks near the back door and a key ring with several keys was hanging on it. Daryl grabbed the keys and found that one of the ones on the ring was a Nissan key.

Beth started to open the back door but Daryl grabbed her arm, "Let's check upstairs first."

They walked back and slowly and carefully climbed to the second floor. There were two bedrooms, an office and a bathroom along the hall. They checked each one. The office held just a desk and chair, a useless home computer and a shelf of programming books. Daryl quickly checked the desk drawers and found nothing useful.

The first bedroom was a child's room, all pink and white with a truckload of stuffed animals arranged along one wall, nothing helpful, but Daryl did grab a pink stuffed gorilla to give to Judith. Then they checked the bathroom and found only a nearly empty bottle of children's fever medication which Beth pocketed. The last bedroom was obviously the master bedroom. The furniture was old, dark and heavy. The drapes were closed so the room was dark and a musty earthy smell was in the air. Daryl walked over and pulled the curtains open.

There was the shape of a person in the bed under the covers. Daryl pulled his bow up and motioned for Beth to get back. He prodded the form with the end of the bow. It was stiff and unmoving. He tried to pull the covers back but they were stuck and only yielded with some tugging and a ripping sound. As they came away, a mummified body was revealed. It was obviously a woman. The lower half of her left arm was missing and small round hole was visible in her left temple. Otherwise the body was undisturbed. The decay had already progressed to a point that little more than bone and skin were left.

"Just cover her back up, Daryl," Beth said. "She's at peace." She started to look through the dresser, quickly checking for anything they could use. She pulled out a couple of shirts that looked to be about her size along with a pair of jeans. He noticed for the first time that her jeans were worn thin and ripped in several places. She was being smart, thinking ahead. He grabbed a flannel shirt for himself before heading back down the stairs. They had missed seeing a door off the kitchen which led into a small cellar.

Daryl walked down the stairs into a very neatly organized work space on one side with model trains, bits of wire, a soldering iron and other hobby gadgets. On the other side were shelves. "Oh, my god," Beth exclaimed as she stared at them in awe. Row after row of canned food items, soup, fruit, vegetables, tiny sausages in cans, sardines, even canned sodas and bottled water sat along the shelves. Nearby were a couple of chairs and a large inflatable mattress on the floor. A radio and flashlight with a couple of extra packs of batteries lay along the back wall.

"They were livin' down here," Beth said. "The woman must have been bitten or hurt. I wonder why they left and left all this food?"

"I don't know," Daryl replied, "But we can't carry all this. Let's see if we can get that car started."

They went back upstairs and Daryl carefully checked outside before they went out and he opened the van. He got in and tried the key but the battery was dead. "Damn it," he said. Beth was standing right next to the car door keeping watch on the walkers near the road who had spotted them at this point.

"They're getting' closer," Beth told him as he popped the hood on the van.

"Just keep an eye on 'em," he told her as he ran around to check the battery. As he looked over the wires and other engine parts, he heard her running and then the chunk of her knife hitting flesh. He quickly grabbed his bow and ran around the van to assist her. Before he could even take aim she had already dropped another walker. He shot the third one through the left eye dropping him instantly.

"I had it," she said as she turned to look at him with that defiant tilt to her chin.

He looked at her appreciatively. She had impressed him with her calm quick action and still managed to look damn cute doing it. Actually all he wanted to do right at that moment was grab her and drag her off somewhere so that he could slowly peel off those clothes and …. but, he had to keep a clear head. There were more walkers out there and they needed to get this van started.

"This van's a stick shift. If we can get it rolling, I'll be able to pop the clutch and get it started. We're gonna have to push it for a bit though," he told her.

"Okay, I'm ready," she said. There were still four walkers in the field across the road. They were headed towards the house.

He looked them over and then looked at her. "Can you take the two on the left while I get the right?" he asked her and she nodded her head.

They ran towards the road which only made the walkers more anxious to get to their prey. She ran straight for the one in front knocking it to the ground with a forearm block and then quickly plunged the knife in its head. The second one was almost on her but she spun and pushed the knife straight up through the base of its skull. Daryl was so busy watching her that he almost let his two targets get too close. He had to use his hand to send one of the arrows through the temple of the closest walker and then quickly shoot the one following.

"Pretty good teamwork," Beth said with a proud smile. He had to agree but they didn't have time to congratulate themselves.

"Let's get the van moving before more show up," he said as he turned and headed back up the driveway. He put the van in neutral and they pushed it down the slightly sloped drive to the road. There was a short straight stretch and then enough of a small downward slope to provide the momentum Daryl needed to get this thing running. They pushed the car and then he told her to jump in the back seat. As the car picked up speed, he jumped in the front and pushed in the clutch. After a few seconds, he released the pedal and the engine coughed.

"Come on, you cocksucker," he yelled as he gave it gas, "come on and start." With each pump of the gas pedal, the engine revved a bit stronger until finally the car was running smoothly. "YES!" Beth whooped from the backseat.

"Let's go back and clean out that pantry now," he told her. They drove back and left the car running while they loaded boxes and bags with all the food from the cellar shelves. It filled the back seat and cargo area of the van. Then they headed back toward the museum to show off their haul.

As they drove, Beth reached over and took Daryl's hand. "It was a good day, wasn't it?" she asked.

He realized that it had been one of the best days they'd had in a long time. "Yeah, it is," he agreed. It was things like this that made him love her. She made him see things with new eyes, showed him the good, the hope. It made him feel like life meant more than just fighting to survive. It had been a good day indeed.


End file.
